PARASITIC DISEASES OF ANIMALS. 6 1 



Diseased birds should be isolated, and any which may die 

 should be burnt. Drinking vessels should be scalded with 

 boiling water. Camphor and chalk blown into a fumigating 

 box, in which several birds are placed, will loosen the worms, 

 and these will be got rid of during the violent fits of coughing 

 brought on by the camphor and chalk. The old remedy of 

 giving each bird a small piece of camphor about the size of a pea 

 is usually effective. 



SCALY LEG ix FOWLS. A few cases of this troublesome 

 disease have been reported. The Mite (Sar copies mutans, Rob.) 

 to which the disease is due , lives beneath the epidermal scales 

 of the 'egs and feet. Irritation is set up, and the scales become 

 raised owing to the formation of accumulations of a chalk-like 

 excretion ; later this takes the form of rough lime or chalk-like 

 crusts, beneath which may be found the mites larvae, nymphae, 

 ripe females, and a few males. Arthrites often appears. If the 

 diseased birds are not attended to their general health becomes 

 affected, they cease to lay, the appetite fails, other diseases 

 appear, and the fowls die. 



Affected birds should be isolated. The chalky lumps should 

 be removed in so far as possible without causing the legs or feet 

 to bleed. They may be softened with tepid water first. Then 

 bathe the legs and feet in warm water, dry with a piece of cotton 

 lint or rag, which should be burnt after once using, and rub in 

 an ointment consisting of equal parts of flower of sulphur and 

 vaseline. After three or four days the legs and feet should be 

 well washed with soft-soap and warm water. 



THE PIG LOUSE (Haematopinus urius, Nitzsch). From 

 Knowle, Warwickshire, a correspondent forwards examples of 

 this parasite ; also pieces of the pig's skin showing the small 

 red papules. 



This species is one of the largest of the family, full grown 

 specimens measuring over a quarter of an inch in length. 

 Denny (i) states that it is rare in England, but common in 

 Ireland. 



The pest is not difficult to get rid of ; two or three dressings 

 of creolin, 10 to 15 per cent, in water, will soon effect a cure. 



i. Monog. Anop. Brit., 1842, p. 35. 



